Folding table.



Y F. T. P'uiR'soN L w. s. MCNALLY.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION vFILI-ID FEB-15, 1917.

Patented' Mar. 26, 1918.

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F. T. PIERSON L W. AS. McNALLY.

. FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED FEBI. 191?.

' Pt'ented Mar.

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FRANK fr. Brunson .ann waeren sr neuerer, or entende, ninrnors.

. romaine TABLE".

Specification of Letters latent.`

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To all whom z'z may concern Be it lirnown that we, FRANK T. PIERSQN andWALTER S. MCNALLY, both `citizens of the United States, and residents ofChicago, in the county of Cook and 'State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new `and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Uur invention relates to folding tables, particularly to that class inwhich Aside sections are to be raised into the plane of the -top sectionor to be dropped to hang down from the edges of the top section.

rllhe object of the invention is to produce improved means for readilypermitting op` posite leg structures tol be drawn apart to` support theraised side sections of the table top and to be brought together topermit such vside sections to be dropped. Furthermore, the' objectis toproduce improved eX- tensible interconnecting mechanism between the legstructures for rigidly holding the leg structuresin parallelism witheach other particularly when the structures are drawn apart, such rigidinterconnection keeping the top side sections horizontal andpreventfolded.

ing sagging thereof when the table is un- Generally speaking, theinvention comprises I-beams secured to the under side of the centralsection of the-table top, and channel beams secured toy the opposite legstructures for telescopically cooperating with the -beainsto readilypermit the leg structures to be separated or broughtv to-` gether.Rollers are preferably provided at the ends' of theI-beains and channelbeams to reduce friction.

On the accompanying drawings the various features of our invention areshown en'i- 4bodied in a table structure. In these drawings Figure 1view of the unfolded table on a vertical plane 'just outside theextensible intercon-v tendngtransversely Yof the top section 10 is atransverse cross-sectional` near its ends andsecured to the under side ithereof are the I-be'ams 15: and 16, screws 17 'being shown passing'`through the beam flanges for securing them in place. The

op-pn'isiteI leg structures a and b comprise respectively the top' beams18 18 at whose ends the legs 19, 20 and 19', 20" are secured. Associatedwith the I-beam 15 are two chaniiel bars 21 and 2l" which are secured attheir outer ends tothe tops of the leg structure beams and 18 as bymeans of angle plates 22 and 22". These channel bars projectinto'theopposite compartments ofthe -beanr with their flanges extendingtoward the Lbeain web between the upper and lower flanges thereof. Atthe opposite ends of the -beam 15 and extending into the oppositeconipartments,y the pins 23 and 24 are secured to the -beam web andthese pins journal rollers and 26 which extend between the upper andlower flanges of the channel bars 2l and 21 respectively. At the innerends of these channel bars pins 27 and 27 are secured to the webs audjournal rollers y 28 and 28 which eXtendfbetween then upper and lowerflanges of the -beam, the ends of the side flan-ges of thel channel barsbeing` cut away as indicated at 29 to make clearance for these rollers.At the opposite ends of the leg structures a' similar arrangement isprovided comprising channel bar`s21 and 21 secured to the beams 18 and18 to cooperate with the -beain 16 andhaving the roller 2S and 2S" attheir ends to engagel between the E-beam flanges, and the Ibeam havingthe rollers 25 and 2G at its ends for' engaging between the upper andlower flanges ofV the channel bars. Although only two interconnectionsare shown, each comprising an l-be'am and coperating channel bars, it isevident that any number of such interconnections may' be' provideddepending upon the size of the' table. v

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tive upper and lower flanges of the I-beams or channel bars, there beingjust sufficient clearance to permit the rollers to rotate -when the legstructures are shifted. With this arrangement the channel bars will berio kept parallel with the I-beams and the table legs will at all timesbe vertical. The rollers could,.of course, be omitted and the channelbars fitted snugly between the flanges of the I-beams, but this wouldcause considerable friction. By providing the rollers, friction iseliminated and the leg structures on very zontal position.

heavy vtables can be readily shifted with little effort.

When the leg structures are brought together to be within the side edgesof the top section 10, the leaves l1 and 12 are free to drop and to hangin vertical position. When the leg structures are separated the leaveswill rest thereon and be held in hori- Ve have shown spacer boards orplates 30 and 31 secured to the under sides of the leaves, which boardsare i the leg structures when they are separated.. Referring to Fig. 3,when the leg structures are separated the side walls 32 and 32 willengage with and raise the leaves, and the inner edges 0 and CZ of theplates 30 and 31 are preferably beveled to be engaged by the upper edgesof the walls 32 and 32 during final outward shifting of the legstructures, such shifting causing the leaves to be lifted to horizontalposition, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

lVe thus produce a table of durable construction and neat appearancewhose opposed leg structures can be brought closely Vtogether to permitthe dropping of the side leaves, or which can be readily separated tosupport the leaves in horizontal position, the eXtensibleinterconnecting mechanisms operating freely but keeping the legstructures at all times rigid so that the legs are at all timesperpendicular. It is not necessary to use the I-beams shown as anysupporting frames can be employed which provide upper and lower fiangesor tracks for the rollers von the channel bars.

l/Ve do not, therefore, desire to be limited v to the exact constructionand arrangement shown and we desire to secure the following claims byLetters Patent:

1. In a folding table, lthe combination of.

a top, leaves hinged at the longitudinal sides of said top to swingdownwardly or into horizontal position, frames secured to the under sideof said top providing upper and lower rails, opposed'leg structures,sets of channel bars secured to and extending inwardly from the opposedleg structures and into the opposite sides of the respective framesbetween the flanges thereof, a roller pivoted at the inner end of eachchannel bar to engage between the rails of the respective frames, and aroller pivoted at each end of each frame for engaging between theflanges of the respective channel bars, whereby said leg structures maybe brought closely together under the table top to permit dropping ofthe leaves or to be spread apart into position underneath the leaves tosupport them in horizontal position, the engagement of said rollers withthe flanges of the frames and bars keeping theV frames and bars at alltimes parallel and the legs of the leg structures vertical.

2. In a folding table, the combination lof a top, leaves hinged to thetop sides to hang downwardly or to be swung upwardly into horizontalposition, I-beams secured to the under side of said topeach affordingupper and lower rail flanges at its opposite sides, opposed parallel legstructures each having legs, pairs of channel bars, the barsV of eachpair being secured to the opposed leg structures and engaging at thesides of the respective I-beam between its flanges, rollers pivoted atthe opposite ends and sides of each, I-beam for engaging between theupper and lower flanges of the respective channel bars, and a roller atthe end of each channel bar for engaging between the respective flangesof the Lbeain, whereby said leg structures may be `shifted toward andaway from each other to permit downward swing of the leaves or tosupport the leaves in horizontal position, the cooperation of saidrollers with the respective fianges serving to keep the channel barsparallel with the -beams to hold the legs vertical at all times.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe 'our names this 8th day ofFebruary, A. D.

FRANK T. PIERSON. WALTER S. MCNALLY.

et this patent y be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of ratems.

Washington, D. G,

